Adjustable shelving.



PATENTBD JUNE30,1908.

. E. ALLEN.

ADJUSTABLE SHELVING.

APPLIGATION FILED 11116.29, 1907.

wQQQQQQQQQlQQe@ ELLNATHAN ALLEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AD JUSTABLE SHELVING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led August 29, 1907.

Patented June 80, 1908.

Serial No. 390,596.

To all 'whomy lit may concern.'

Bo it knomi that I, ELLNATHAN ALLEN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in'Adjustable Shelving, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to adjustable shelving, and the object of the invention is: First, to produce an upright which is sim ly constructed, readily assembled, smooti in its exterior and capable of furnishing safe and secure means for supporting the shelf bracket at any desired elevation. Second, to provide a shelf bracket which ymay be readily secured to the upright at any desired elevation and which may be operated from the front, thereby avoiding the necessity for the operator to reach far under the shelf during the vertical adjustment of the bracket.

I accomplish my object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the bracket and supporting upright. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the bracket showing the clamping mechanism. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the lower member of the bracket taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4' shows a modification in the form of the inner end of one of the bracket members.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the preferred form the upright consists of two angle irons (L and b laid edge to edge so as to form a hollow square as illustrated in Fig. l. At suitable intervals along the angle irons are apertures c, which in the preferred construction are formed by stamping, as indicated. Outside of the angle irons a, b, are arranged sheath members d, (i which have flat sides ladapted to lie against the outside of the angle irons and are provided with flanges d1 which are parallel and extend toward each other, but do not come together, consequently forming a slot between them.

The sheets and angle irons are secured together by any suitable means, such, for example, as the bolt e.

The brackets in the preferred construction consist of two principal horizontal members f and g, which may be fastened rigidly together by the braces l1., or other suitable devices. These members f and g serve to support the upright bracket members i, fi, which are apertured at frequent intervals for receiving the lugs jl formed upon the shelf supports j. By preference the lugs j" are so arranged upon said supports that two ol' them may enter the same apertme in the uprights i and lie side by side. As a result of this arrangement, two shelf supports may be adjusted to the same level on opposite` sides of the bracket without interfering with each other.

The upper horizontal bracket member f above mentioned has at its inner extremity .a foot f1 which is preferably bifurcated as shown 1n Figs. 1 and 2. Said foot is adapted to lie upon the inside of the sheath members and engage the flanges d1 thereon, and thereby retain the upper bracket member in engagement with the upright.

he lower bracket member g has an exten` sion gl thereon adapted to enter the apertures c in the angle irons a, l). The construction at the extension g1 may be as shown in Fig. 1, in which it abuts the tongue e" formed in the aperture c, or it may be constructed as shown in Fig. 4, in which the extremity g2 is notched and engages the lower edge ofthe apertures c.

The means for holding the lower member g in position with its extension gl within the aperture c consists of a clamping member 7c, provided, in the present instance, with branches k1 adapted to engage the inner surfaces of the flanges d in a manner somewhat similar to the branches f1 above mentioned. The clamping member 7c is slidingly mounted upon the bracket member g. In .the preferred arrangement, said bracket member consists of an angle iron having its lower flange horizontal as shown. rl`he member ll: is mounted upon the under side of part g, and in the present design is held in place by means of the rivet m, which is secured to member g, and has its shank extending through the slot 7b2 in part 7c. Part 7c is connected to and operated by the link or rod n, whose other extremity is guided by the rivet g4 fastened in the bracket member g. 'lhe rivet nl forms an articulate connection between said rod n and the hand lever o. Said lever is pivoted upon the fixed rivet g and has a cam slot o1 for receiving rivet g4. 'l`he result of this construction is that when lever 0 is rotated about pivot g, the rod '11. and the member c will be caused to move lengthwise of the member g.

In operation the bracket f, g, 7L, i, is brought into position by inserting the branches f1, 7c1 to a point within the flanges d1. This may be accomplished by slipping the bracket down from the to of the upright. As this method of assemb ing is not always convenient, a notch d2 is preferably formed within one or both of the Hanges d1, through which i said branches may be inserted. The bracket is then brought to the desired elevation, and the extension g1 brought Within the proper aperture c. The bracket is then clamped in positionby throwing the hand lever o to such position as to force the branches k1 home against the inside of the flanges d1. The result is that the branches 761 come to a firm bearing against the engaged angle iron within the upright. Consequently the bracket is rigidly'held in position. When it is desired to change the elevation of the bracket all thaty is necessary is for the operator to throw the lever o sov as to release the branches c, after which the extension g1 may be withdrawn from the aperture and raised or lowered as the case may be. It will be noted that this manipulation is not only simple to perform but is readily accomplished by reason of the location of the member o near the outer extremity of the bracket. comes unnecessary for the operator to reach under the bracket, which would frequently be very inconvenient, especially when the shelves are Wide or located close together.

Another advantage ofV my construction is that when the member o is thrown to released position, the branches f1 and k1 still remain within--thekflanges d of the upright, and, therefore the bracket cannot become entirely disengaged.

Another advantage of my construction is that the apparatus is self-locking. This characteristlc is attained by so forming the hand lever o that the acting surface of cam c1 is at right angles to the strain through the rod n when the parts are in locked position as illustrated in Fig. 2. This eliminates the necessity for any holding device other than the cam itself. The cam, however, is free to be moved at any time by the operator. By mounting the cam and. devices o erated thereby upon the lower side of the racket member g, they are not only practically hidden from view, which improves the' appearance of the structure, but they are protected from accidental disturbance by contact with exterior objects. l

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: l

1'. In combination, an u right having recesses therein, a shelf brac et having a projectin member adapted to enter the recesses 1n sai upright for engaging the same at various elevations, a clamping vmember mounted upon said bracket and adapted to coperate with said upright toforce said pro'ectin 'member into the recesses in said upri t an a cam mounted upon said shelf brac et and connected to said clampin member for operating the same substantia ly as describe 2. In combination, an u right having recesses therein, a shelf bracliiethaving a pro- `jecting member adapted'to enter the recesses 3. In adjustable shelving, the combination of an u right consisting of two angle irons laid e ge to edge to form a hollow square, and two sheath members bolted together and to said angle irons for holding the parts of the upright together, said sheath members having flanges lying parallel to each other, a slight distance a art, a bracket' having a part thereof adapte to engage one of'said angle irons, means on said bracket ada ted to engage the inside of the flanges of saidpsheath members and a cam for operating said engaging means.

4. In adjustable shelving, the combination of an u right consisting of two angle irons laid e ge to edge to form a hollow square, said angle irons being a ertured at intervals, and said u right `inc uding two sheath members bolt together and to said an le irons for holding the parts of the uprig t together, said sheath members having iianges lying parallel to each other a slight distance apart, a bracket having a projectm member for. entering the apertures in sai angle irons, a clamping member mounted on said bracket and adapted to co crate lwith the flanges of said upright to ho d the projection on the bracket m engagement with lthe angle irons of said upright and means at ELLNATHAN ALLE-N:

Witnesses:

HOWARD M. COX,

CLARA L. MARTIN. 

